A six-month economic impact analysis conducted in conjunction with the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service recently found that members of The Venture Center have created an additional 192 jobs within the previous year, an increase of 43 percent, resulting in 637 total jobs created by members since The Venture Center’s founding in 2014.

In addition to the 43 percent annual increase in jobs created by members, this study also found that entrepreneurs who interact with The Venture Center on a daily or weekly basis have created more jobs and have a higher total capital raise. Data revealed that The Venture Center’s member startups have raised $57 million dollars to date—$18 million more than the total capital raised since May 2017.

Second-year student Ross Owyoung partnered with The Venture Center to determine the economic impact of The Venture Center’s programming on entrepreneurism in central Arkansas. Owyoung began this project in September 2017 by reviewing literature to identify the most important variables for conducting a statistical analysis on economic growth. He used interviews and surveys to capture the financial statistics and business profiles of entrepreneurs with a membership at The Venture Center. These member statistics were compared internally and externally to local and statewide regional data and recent economic trends to see how The Venture Center affected economic growth.

The final report for this project will be published this summer on The Venture Center’s website.

About the Clinton School of Public Service

The Clinton School of Public Service is the first school in the U.S. to offer a Master of Public Service (MPS) degree. A two-year graduate program with a “real world” curriculum, the Clinton School is located on the grounds of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Venture Center is a non-profit organization that helps entrepreneurs turn their startups into viable, high-growth businesses. By leveraging the expertise of a world-class team of mentors, intensive programming and introductions to the investor community, The Venture Center serves as an engine for economic growth in Central Arkansas and beyond.